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Henry Clay: The Essential American

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About once a year, my husband and I visit friends near Lexington, Kentucky, and we always see the signs for Henry Clay's plantation home, Ashland. Not knowing that much about Henry Clay, but having read many other books that make reference to The Great Compromiser, I decided to read Henry Clay: The Essential American by David S. Heidler and Jeanne T. Heidler. I discovered not just an extraordinary book, but also an extraordinary man! Unfortunately, many of his accomplishments have been dimmed by history. But Clay, known as the Western Star and Prince Hal, was one of the most influential men of the first half of the 19th Century.

Clay was born in 1777, and he and our young republic grew up together. As a teenager, he clerked for the Virginia Court of Chancery. Because of his good penmanship, he was selected to assist George Wythe, the brilliant legal mind who was a Virginia chancellor and first law professor in the nation. After studying law and passing the bar, Clay followed his mother and step-father to Kentucky. He used his legal success to launch a career in public service. Over the course of his long life, he served in the Kentucky House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives (selected as Speaker 6 times), as well as Secretary of State under John Quincy Adams. He helped negotiate the Treaty of Ghent (ending the War of 1812), and had a hand in many congressional compromises including the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850. He ran for president 5 times and argued many cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. But what really set Henry Clay apart from his contemporaries was that he was a brilliant orator. When word got out that Henry Clay was about to speak, the Capitol would fill to capacity with spectators hanging on his every word. Sometimes he would speak for days. Only John C. Calhoun and Daniel Webster came close to Clay, and together they would be called The Great Triumvirate.

Henry Clay: The Essential American is a book that is sure to become a classic. I would rank it as one of the top ten biographies that I have ever read. I liked this book for so many reasons! I enjoyed Henry Clay because it scoped out the life and importance of this pivotal American through extensive research and thoughtful analysis. At the time, Clay was the closest thing Americans had to a rock star. I liked this book because it covers a period in American History that I consider to be a black hole--that period of time between the American Revolution and the Civil War. These years are often overlooked in the study of history. I liked Henry Clay because I could see so many parallels between congress during Clay's years and our congress today. Conditions were just about as acrimonious as they are at present. Virginia Senator John Randolph said of the 11th Congress "that `a more despicable set was never gathered together.'" At least there aren't duels, pistols and floggings in congress today. But the reason I truly loved Henry Clay is that it is written so beautifully and so engagingly by the authors. "He was a titanic symbol of Union to the very end, promoting compromise to prevent his country's demise and the slaughter he was certain would follow. He saved his country until its muscles and sinews could weather a terrible civil war..."

Although Henry Clay: The Essential American weighs in at over 500 pages and it took me several weeks to read, I didn't want to see it end. After reading this book, I will never look at American History in quite the same way.

This work presents Henry Clay in a fashion that almost allows the reader to feel the presence of "The Great Compromiser." It is a study of both the man and his works, flawed, brave, sometimes wrong, somethimes right, but always interesting. Clay was a great and influential figure in American history, and it would not be too much to say that Clay delayed the Civil War by twenty years through his presence. OK, maybe that's a little much, but nonetheless it was his continuing work to keep the union together and attempt to find a way to work out the sectional problems.

In Clay's times, the sectional problems were almost unbridgable, and significantly more difficult than the issues confronting our current politicians. Yet, we hear no voice like Clay's -- rather we have ideologes brooking no compromise as if it were treason. Clay always moved the nation forward to realize its growth potential, whereas today our heady days of growth are behind us and we are in a time of shrinking resources. A pity -- I found myself wondering how Clay would approach the problems of today.

That was the strength of this work -- Clay was so thoroughly presented, I found myself becoming involved almost as one of his partisans. Clay's machinations in getting John Quincy Adams elected make for fascinating reading even today, and Jackson dubbed him the "Judas of the West." In fact, Clay's life would make great theater with the duels and political survival putting Clinton's "comeback kid" to shame. It's too bad that someone doesn't take this book and turn it into a movie -- or at least a mini-series.

The writing is crisp and usually, but not always, sympathetic to Clay. The authors are not shy in presenting Clay with warts when they are deserved.

All in all, this is a very fine scholarly work, and I highly recommend it to all.

David and Jeanne Heidler's sweeping biography of Henry Clay captures the energy and convictions of the indefatigable senator and the many crises of a young nation over the course of his nearly 50 years in American politics. Clay served about 14 years each in the House of Representatives and Senate, and he was Secretary of State for 4 years under President John Quincy Adams. Often called the Great Compromiser, the authors agree with Daniel Walker Howe's characterization of Clay as "an ideologue of the Center", who would rather not compromise. Even so, he would do anything to save the union and stave off civil war, and the Heidlers explain his role in the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1833, and the Compromise of 1850.

Clay's 5 failed attempts to become President are addressed in painful detail -painful because he came so close, and the prize always went to a lesser man. The US had a string of bad presidents when it could have had Henry Clay. One of them was Clay's bitter enemy Andrew Jackson. Beyond Clay's constant struggle to find a middle ground between North and South, the Heidlers discuss the other major political issues of his career: the War of 1812 and Treaty of Ghent, Clay's "American System" of infrastructure creation and currency stability, the battles over the second Bank of the United States, his lifelong support for gradual emancipation of slaves while being a slaveholder himself, the split of the Republican party, and the annexation of Texas.

There is a great deal of insight into congressional and election politics in the United States during the first half of the 19th century, which are strikingly similar to today and, for better or worse, guided major policies: wars with Britain and Mexico, westward expansion, the balance of slave and free states, the preservation of the union and of the Constitution. But there is no less about Clay's character, his family life, his personal and professional frustrations. Clay couldn't stand to be away from Washington for long, so it is perhaps in his orations on the Senate floor that we see him best. The authors obviously admire Henry Clay but are not uncritical of him. "Henry Clay" is packed with information about the man, his life, and his times, but I was most impressed by the eloquence and sensitivity with which Clay and his contemporaries are portrayed. It makes this long book a compelling read.

Henry Clay is a singularly unfashionable figure for our times. A professional politician, he was a firm believer in compromise and celebrated as the greatest practitioner of it. Though he hungered for the presidency, he repeatedly reiterated his belief in legislative supremacy and opposed Andrew Jackson's concentration of power in the executive. And when faced with the growing moral divide over slavery, he attempted to straddle the issue in a manner that would invite derision from both sides. Yet as David and Jeanne Heidler show, his death in June 1852 triggered nationwide mourning, a tribute to his long career and testimony to the esteem in which he was held by his contemporaries.

How he came to earn such passionate devotion is only partly covered in this biography, however, which focuses primarily upon Clay's political career. This in itself more than justifies the hundreds of pages the authors devote to it, spanning as it does over half a century, from the early days of Kentucky's statehood to the last major effort at political compromise before the Civil War. Much of this career was focused on becoming president, yet the Heidlers argue that he never really came close to the office, leaving instead an unfulfilled ambition that has given his distinguished career an aura of failure despite his many achievements.

The Heidlers lay our Clay's career in admiring prose that conveys with clarity many of the issues and battles of his day. Yet is their book really necessary? There are no new arguments about Clay's career within its pages, merely a lengthy narrative that does little to improve upon Robert Remini's Henry Clay: Statesman for the Union, the yardstick by which Clay biographies must be judged. In most respects the Heidlers' effort is much inferior, particularly in its coverage of the nonpolitical aspects of Clay's life and in the frequent use of ahistorical (and ungrammatical) labels that are more reflective of modern-day partisanship than the politics of Clay's time. Such issues mean that this is merely the latest Clay biography rather than the best, and that readers seeking to understand Clay's life would be better served picking up Remini's superior work instead.

WOW!

One of the most important figures in US history that you probably don't know much about comes alive in a biography that reads like a novel. This book had me engaged more than any biography that I've read since "John Adams". Clay goes form making shrewd wise decisions to not-so-wise ones and his history and progress is a great framing for the history of the first half of the nineteenth century. The authors do an excellent job of bringing you his story, and the story of America.

It is long, but it's a page-turner, and you'll wish it were two volumes! A story of a great, influential, and controversial figure.

Henry Clay was involved in politics from the time of President John Adams (#2) until President Millard Fillmore (#13). He served in the Senate (even before he was legally old enough), the House of Representatives (most of the time as Speaker), and as Secretary of State to John Quincy Adams (despite holding differing political views). He cast such a long shadow of influence over the nation that Abraham Lincoln later cited him as one of his greatest influences and heroes. He was the heart and soul of the Whig party and renowned for his speaking prowess - frequently packing the galleries with people eager for the chance to hear him speak. And yet he ran unsuccessfully for president 4 times, being undermined by those in his own party who thought him unelectable. He was "an otherwise good and decent man" with "a fundamental flaw" (pg 448) - he was a slave owner (which troubled abolitionists) who favored gradual emancipation (which troubled Southerners).

This lengthy biography (almost 500 pages) on a little-remembered but highly influential politician is surprisingly readable. The focus is almost completely on his political career, and details on his personal and family life are few and usually only included as they bear upon his career. With that emphasis comes a sometimes uncomfortable unveiling of the ugliness of politics, and this heavy focus on politics was the only negative for me; I generally prefer biographies with a more personal note. But for Henry Clay, politics was personal and it was his life. And the Heidlers have done an excellent job of pulling together massive amounts of information and sorting out the myths and legends. While the book may not have broad appeal, it will certainly appeal to those seeking to understand the early history of the US and into the Jacksonian era as the country plunged toward Civil War.

David and Jeanne Heidler use the phrase in the title of this review to describe Henry Clay in their new biography: "Henry Clay, the Essential American". The Heidlers borrow this term from Daniel Walker Howe's recent study of pre-Civil War America, What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848 (Oxford History of the United States), and they share much of Walker's sympathy with Clay. The Heidlers adopt the term in the context of discussing Clay's "American System", a nationalistic vision for the development of American commerce and transportation in the 1830s. Recognizing Clay's reputation as the "Great Compromiser" which may seem to exclude strong principles, the Heidlers focus on Clay with his own commitments. The passage, from chapter 8 of thier book is worth quoting.

"This strange combination of past and future made [Clay] curiously out of place in this time, the Jacksonian period of the early nineteenth century, that invoked the People as a mystical entity and insisted that the unbuilt road and the silted-up harbor did not hurt commerce. Clay steered a middle course that made him seem a basket of contradictions. The Progressive movement of the late nineteenth century that promoted moral uplift and active government would seem to be his legacy. Yet Clay opposed coerced morality and recoiled from regulating private economic behavior. A moderate on many issues, Clay was doctrinaire on certain matters, such as the inviolability of the Union and the role of economic progress in preserving it. Dubbed the Great Compromiser, he was not naturally prone to compromise, and instead became, [in Howe's term] 'an ideologue of the Center."

The Heidlers, who teach at Colorado State University and at the United States Air Force Academy, have written extensively about the War of 1812 and about Jacksonian America. Their lengthy and detailed biography of Clay, the "Essential American" (1777 -- 1852), consisting of 490 pages of text in addition to footnotes and a detailed bibliography describes a gifted, flawed, and almost overweeningly ambitious individual who, through the thickets of politics, tried to do what he thought right for the United States with a basic consistency throughout a long, controversial career. Although the focus is on politics, the Heidlers pay a great deal of attention to Clay's private life, including his 53-year marriage to the quiet and unassuming Lucretia, whom they describe in the book's dedication as showing a "calm laughter and gentle grace." The book shows a great deal of Clay and his eleven children, only four of whom survived childhood, and of his large family circle. Clay's smiling and extroverted public figure covered a great deal of personal sadness. The Heidler's also offer an extended portrait of Clay as a young man, and of his activities as a lawyer, farmer, breeder of racehorses, and businessman.

Clay had a long public career as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Secretary of State, and Senator. He was an ardent advocate of going to war with Britain in 1812 and also an American commissioner at the Treaty of Ghent which ended the war. He played an important role in the development of the Missouri Compromise of 1820, opposed Andrew Jackson's destruction of the Second Bank of the United States, and helped fashion the Compromise which ended the Nullification Crisis in 1832. In 1850, an ailing Clay returned to the Senate and brokered the frail Compromise of 1850 which deferred the Civil War for ten years.

Clay ran for president three times, in 1824, 1832, and 1844. When the first election went to the House of Representatives for decision, Clay gave his support to John Quincy Adams and became the Secretary of State. He earned the lasting enmity of Andrew Jackson. The allegations of a "Corrupt Bargain" with Adams haunted Clay for the remainder of his career and probably helped deny him the presidency in his subsequent efforts. Clay lost to Jackson in 1832 and then was upset by James K. Polk in 1844. Clay also came close to being nominated for president in 1840 and 1848. In this respect, his career was one of high ambition and continued frustration.

Clay was a mesmerizing speaker who delivered long, extemporaneous speeches that captivated his listeners. But frequently his comments would return to hurt him. Gracious and charming, Clay found allies easily. But he also had an impulsive, acerbic side which made him lasting enemies. A lover of gambling, alcohol, fine food, and the good life, Clay had a wild streak which, together with the claimed "bargain" with Adams, caused many people to distrust him. Clay fought two duels during his public life. The second duel occurred when Clay was Secretary of State. He challenged Virginia Congressman John Randolph who had attacked him on the floor of the House. The Heidlers tell this story dramatically. Randolph fired his pistol into the air while Clay fired to kill. Clay does not come across sympathetically in this incident. A slaveholder at his large Kentucky plantation, Clay favored gradual emancipation and tried to avoid the extremes of abolitionism and secessionism. Clay was the founder of the American Colonization Society which had the goal of emancipating slaves and sending the freed slaves to communities in Africa or the Carribean. Much of this book shows Clay's personal and political attitudes towards slavery and his efforts to avoid what he perceived as extremes.

The detail of this book obscures the flow of the narrative at times. A year-by-year chronology would have been useful. The book rewards reading for its portrayal of Clay and of his age. Important matters such as the 1850 Compromise and the Bank war became clearer to me upon reading this biography. Clay earned by regard in this portrayal through his patriotism, commitment to the entire Union rather than to a section, for his judgment, which was frequently good, and for his moderation. I also came to admire Clay for his persistence in seeking the presidency which forever eluded him. This is an excellent book for understanding Clay and American history.

Robin Friedman

David and Jeanne Heidler are experts at researching, describing and detailing early American life. So it's no surprise that "Henry Clay: The Essential American" is one more great book to add to their collection of history books on early 19th century America.

The title alone, "Henry Clay: The Essential American" is indicative of the man Clay was. But don't let this title be misleading: this is a balanced work of great research and attention to detail. If Clay did anything of questionable consequences, it was well noted, from his early court cases as a criminal lawyer to later as a slave-owning politician against Andrew Jackson and James Polk. After reading this book, one has to wonder how this country would have fared had Clay won the presidency either time. We read about Clay's many accomplishments and struggles as a Kentucky Senator in pre-Civil War America; no better man could have done what he had done while Abraham Lincoln played the sidelines to become the president at a time of severe crisis. Without Henry Clay there would have been no Abraham Lincoln, and this book details this thesis.

This book reads like a thrilling biography. Sentences don't run on and on with endless verbosity. Chapters aren't too long nor frivilous. Henry Clay comes to life here as we see how his character and personality are molded by the circumstances of his times. Facts are presented directly and, when noted, well-footnoted. This is great reading for any history fan.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in pre-Civil War America. I place my copy of "Henry Clay: The Essential American" next to my copies of "What had God Wrought" by Daniel W Howe and "Team of Rivals" by Doris K Goodwin. But if readers only read this book, they will have a great understanding of political and social issues of the times in America before our Civil War.

I expect great praise from other historians for this work of great American history.

I will admit that although I enjoy history, I do not often purchase or read biographies of statesmen, rather prefering military types. I read Henry Clay: The Essential American because I knew one of the authors, David Heidler, from our college days at Auburn University. Although I pride myself at being fairly knowledgable about American History, I knew little about the period of Clay's remakable life. Thanks to the Heidlers, not only did I learn a great deal about this era of our history, but came to better understand that these were real people not just figures in a portrait. Henry Clay and his collegues in the Congress dealt with basically the same issues we face today, and the Whigs and the Democrats interacted in much the same way that the parties still do, with the same mixed results we see today. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone.

This book tells the life story of Henry Clay, a politician from Kentucky who lived between 1777 and 1852. The subtitle of this biography is "The Essential American" and I was puzzled by this choice throughout the whole time that I was wading through its 492 pages of text. Frankly, I never found the reason why that subtitle was chosen. The book follows a pretty standard format for such texts where it starts with the death and funeral of Henry Clay. In those days, a famous person like Clay took a languid and circuitous route from the place of passing (Washington DC in this case) to the burial ground (Lexington, Kentucky). The whole first chapter describes this journey in minute detail including what time the casket reached each stop, what was done with the casket, and approximations of how many people watched the casket go by or participated in the somber parades following it.

The next chapter jumps back to the beginning and tells the story of Clay's beginnings, a bit about his immediate family, and his relatives. We quickly pass through his early life and his siblings to the point in time where his family moves from Virginia west, and he remains in Virginia as a law clerk, intending to become a lawyer. As in the first chapter, the level of detail throughout the book is quite amazing with many anecdotes told of Clay's life and relationships. At times, these details obstructed the storyline with so much additional information that it was rather difficult to follow. On the other hand, Clay was renowned as a clever speaker who can turn a phrase and I was surprised to note that there were few quotations from Clay's actual words in the book. I wonder why that is as the text refers to many speeches (including some that it lauds as very notable)? Clearly there are transcriptions of the speeches as the text describes them as being quoted by various newspapers. However, the fact remains, that there are very few direct Henry clay quotes in the book.

As we follow Clay's life and career in politics, my puzzlement over the subtitle deepened. Relatively early on in his life, Henry Clay becomes the speaker of the House of Representatives and wields the most direct power. He is lauded as the first one to be able to harness the house and a model that all future speakers attempt to follow - for the most part unsuccessfully. After several years in this successful mode, Henry Clay joins the cabinet, then becomes a Senator, and then he runs for the Presidency four separate times - losing each time to the other party, or not even being nominated by the Whig party that he supposedly led. So, I am even more puzzled as to what makes this historical figure such a prominent one as to justify a book of this nature?

On the positive side of the ledger, this is clearly a monumental effort and the result of many tenacious hours of research. If you want to know about Henry Clay's life and his opinions, this is the book for you. If you want to know something about the era in which he lived, this is the book for you. If you want to read about a conflicted personality who owned slaves while attempting to find ways to eliminate slavery, then this is a book for you. I ultimately decided to give this book five stars because it is so comprehensive and complete that it will definitely fill a need, even if it was not the easiest read for me.